Guj: પંચમહાલ pan̄camahāla
‘Five Mahals’ -District, Gujarat
From Hin/Skt: panch, ‘five’; and Hin/Urd: mahal, ‘(political) division’ (originally ‘palace’).
A mahal is an administrative division in India corresponding to a township (and ancillary villages), tehsil or taluk.
The Panchmahals are the five divisions that were transferred by Jivajirao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior State, to the British: Godhra, Dahod, Halol, Kalol and Jhalod.
The Panchmahals included areas with important mineral deposits (sandstone, granite and manganese) as well as the culturally important deserted city of Champaner.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Gujarat place names.
Panchmahal District, British India (1896) Mechanical Curator, British Library
